ArmInfo If Russian gas prices increase, Armenia will not face a severe crisis similar to the 1990s, when the country suffered from rolling blackouts, as stated by Mesrop Mesropyan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), during a press- briefing on May 19.
According to him, the price increase will impact the cost of electricity, approximately 30-35% of which is generated by thermal power plants. "This could equally impact the price of electricity," Mesropyan noted, adding that everything has a price.
At the same time, he emphasized that Armenia is currently a technologically advanced country, including in the field of solar energy utilization. Moreover, according to the head of the PSRC, the country has hydroelectric power plants and a nuclear power plant that can meet the demand for electricity. "In this case, an increase in gas prices will not lead to any serious shocks," he emphasized.
Recall, on April 4, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan threatened to withdraw the country from the CSTO and the EAEU if Russia suddenly decided to raise gas prices for Armenia. In response, Russian Federation Council Deputy Chairman Konstantin Kosachev called the Armenian National Assembly Speaker's arguments incorrect. He recalled that during talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on April 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin provided a clear picture of the current situation: "Energy prices, gas prices in Europe, are skyrocketing to over $600 per 1,000 cubic meters, while Russia sells gas to Armenia at $177.5 per 1,000 cubic meters."
"It would be fair and honest for Armenian politicians to take this scale of Russia's support for Armenia into account, rather than speculating on hypothetical changes in pricing policy," he concluded.
